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rustic
50modern
TO CREATE AN OASIS OF CALM AND
LIGHT, AND A REFUGE FOR FAMILY
AND FRIENDS, A MANHATTAN COUPLE
TURNS TO THEIR TRUSTED DESIGNER.
WRITTEN BY CARMELA CIURARU / PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARCO RICCA
INTERIOR DESIGN / JOHN VANCHERI, JOHN VANCHERI INTERIOR DESIGN
HOME BUILDER / PHIL PAPE, PAPE CONSTRUCTION
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M
ost stories about buying a new home
begin with the usual reasons: starting a
family, needing more (or less) space, a
job transfer. This one, however, begins
with a cappuccino. Although a Manhattan
couple had owned summer homes in both Sag Harbor
and East Hampton over the years, there was one problem
with the locations: the extra travel time required for the
wife to pick up her requisite cappuccino and panini at Sant
Ambroeus in Southampton on their way out east. So they
began looking for a closer house, one that would easily
accommodate their children and grandchildren and was
within walking distance to the village, beach and train
station. A five-month search led them to a house in the
perfect locale—but a complete teardown was in order.
That’s where designer John Vancheri came in. Working
with the architect of record, Robert Ortmann of Zwirko &
Ortmann Architects, on the zoning process and builder Phil
Pape on the 16-month build, Vancheri designed a stunning
5,000-square-foot, five-bedroom home inside and out,
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The casual, sun-flooded living area features
a dramatic 20-bulb light fixture by Lindsey
Adelman Studio, a couch from Homenature
in a Jerry Pair indoor/outdoor fabric and
custom chairs by Vancheri in the same
Jerry Pair fabric. The dining table is from
Holly Hunt, with Maxalto slipcovered
chairs from B&B Italia. Polished-concrete
floors, fabricated by Pape Construction,
dominate the main living space.
including a gym, outdoor kitchen and screened-in dining
area with fireplace, as well as a gunite pool, pergola and
landscaping. “Modern, clean lines and white, white, white,”
is how the wife describes what she and her husband were
hoping for. “When we saw what he had created on paper,
we were awestruck,” she says.
“The vision was for the house to look like it could
have been an old structure and to modernize it,” says
Vancheri. “I used a lot of weathered woods for the
beams and lintels. The paneling was also designed
to look weathered, but it runs horizontally for a more
contemporary look. Natural finishes, like the concrete
floors, were installed without expansion joints so that it
cracks naturally.” Pape, who came to Vancheri via a wordof-mouth recommendation, appreciated the designer’s
meticulous attention to detail and the couple’s noncookie-cutter vision. “I loved the concept, the idea of
quality over quantity,” he says. “Plus, the use of materials
and the architecture were different from what we
typically see in Southampton Village.”
Along with builder Phil Pape,
designer John Vancheri
collaborated with a local
woodworker to build the stairwell
(above, left), which connects the
three levels of the home; installation
was done by crane, dropped in
from a circular skylight above. In the
foyer (above, right) is a large custom
mirror, 5 feet in diameter, designed
by Vancheri and fabricated by
Coastal Metals; the black-leather
stools are by Holly Hunt.
Opposite: The steel-constructed windows by Optimum Window create a stunning kitchen in which the
couple spends much of their time. The white metal-frame Bertoia chairs are from Design Within Reach,
and the 24-inch globe lights, which add another dose of drama, are by Illuminating Experiences.
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Below: A second dining area features a table and chairs from Janus et Cie and a custom sideboard by Vancheri,
fabricated by Jufer Cabinetry. The charming star pendants are by Tucker Robbins, and the mirror is from RH.
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Of the couple, with whom he has worked on 10
renovation projects in New Jersey, Manhattan and the
Hamptons, Vancheri says, “Aesthetically, they pretty much
gave me free rein.” Yet they were very much involved in
the planning of the layout. A primary aim was to be able
to accommodate children, grandchildren and friends. To
this end, Vancheri created an 800-square-foot guest suite
on the second floor, as well as a 1,200-square-foot guest
apartment on the lower level. Each is connected by a stunning
circular staircase, built behind arched doors to create
privacy between the guest spaces and main level. Another
must-have: a wine cellar to store the husband’s extensive
collection—about a thousand bottles; Vancheri designed
it in white oak that he had stained a weathered gray.
Noting the couple’s wish for openness, and having
to contend with a local rule that the house must face
the street, the designer got creative: “I wanted to get
the best light and also wanted to maximize the look of
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the property while keeping it private,” he says. “It has
an extra-wide main hall that stretches from the front door
to the rear door with wide openings to the adjacent
rooms to allow light to filter through.” In the public areas
on the first floor, the ceilings peak at 18 feet, creating an
astonishing sense of space and light. To maintain this
feeling of airiness, the furnishings and décor are almost
all white and gray, with the occasional touch of black
to add drama—seen in stools in the foyer and the star
pendants that hang over one of the dining areas.
For Vancheri, when a job is over, it isn’t quite over. He
masterfully orchestrates the moving company, as well as
the television and phone services, and puts everything in
its place once the move is complete. “With John, when you
come in for the reveal, it’s turnkey—like being at the Ritz,”
the wife says. “You walk into your new home with music
playing, flowers on the tables, and often lunch! This one,
though, is the most gorgeous house I have ever been in.”
Above: Of the stunning dark
gray gunite pool—built by Loebs
& Gordon Poolcraft—Vancheri
says: “I designed it conceptually.
I wanted the water to be level
with the surrounding patio.”
Opposite: The cabana is
situated at the end of the pool
to capture the exterior’s longest
vista. The draperies—which were
custom-made from a Sunbrella
fabric—provide a sense of
intimacy in the seating area.